Satirical Body Horror ‘Grafted’ Acquired By Shudder Ahead of Sitges Premiere

Sasha Rainbow’s feature debut, Grafted, a satirical body horror movie, has been acquired by Shudder for North American, UK, and Irish release ahead of its Spanish premiere at the 2024 Sitges Film Festival. 

Shudder has dated Grafted for release on the streaming service on January 24, 2025.

The body horror film follows “Chinese scholarship student Wei, who travels to New Zealand to study medical research at a prestigious university. Shy, introverted, and hiding a genetic facial birthmark, Wei is shunned by her social butterfly cousin Angela and her glamorous friends. Determined to change her fate, Wei immerses herself in her late father’s research, working on a revolutionary skin grafting procedure that could cure her deformity. As her experiments take a dark turn, she becomes more dangerous and unhinged, willing to eliminate anyone who threatens her secret.”

The film stars Joyena Sun, Jess Hong, and Jared Turner. It was written by Mia Maramara, Hweiling Ow, Lee Murray, and Rainbow.

Director Sasha Rainbow said in a statement, “Partnering with Shudder is a dream come true—for those of us who like our dreams dark and full of twists, and there’s no better place to unleash Grafted than with the curators of terror themselves. I can’t wait for their fearless audience to sink their teeth into this one and experience Wei’s wild and bloody pursuit of perfection.”

“Sasha Rainbow’s bold and brave work in her short form and documentary work has transitioned seamlessly into her impressive debut feature,“ said Shudder’s SVP of Acquisitions and Production, Emily Gotto. “It’s no surprise that Grafted is gripping, slicing past a high body count with a highly original take on the body horror subgenre with sharp social commentary that strikes a nerve.”

Grafted is produced by Murray Francis and Leela Menon and executive produced by Fraser Brown. 

The acquisition news comes with first look images, introducing a rather bloody Wei it appears. Stay tuned for news on Grafted as it arrives.